GA4GH Connect session follow up - Where is Global? Geolocation in Genomics
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Beatrice Amos
Oct 13, 2025, 4:10:34 PM10/13/25
to Clinical and Phenotypic Data Capture, Clinical & Phenotypic Data Capture Work Stream Leadership, ga4gh-discovery-leads, Discovery Technical Work Stream, Brian D OConnor, Michael Baudis, TASC, GA4GH Implementation Forum, Work Stream - Data Use and Research Identity (DURI), Cloud Work Stream
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you all for contributing to the GA4GH Connect session: Where is Global? Geolocation in Genomics - what a productive and engaging discussion! A big thank you to Michael Baudis and Brian O'Connor for an excellent session, and to all participants for their valuable contributions and engaging discussions. Your input made this a truly meaningful conversation.
‼️ Please take a moment to review the meeting notes and share any edits or additions to help keep the summary accurate and complete. If you notice any mistakes, have resources to add, or want to share more details, please feel free to jump in and update the notes - we welcome your input! A link to the recording is available in the linked meeting notes.
Thank you all for contributing to the GA4GH Connect session: Where is Global? Geolocation in Genomics - what a productive and engaging discussion! A big thank you to Michael Baudis and Brian O'Connor for an excellent session, and to all participants for their valuable contributions and engaging discussions. Your input made this a truly meaningful conversation.
‼️ Please take a moment to review the meeting notes and share any edits or additions to help keep the summary accurate and complete. If you notice any mistakes, have resources to add, or want to share more details, please feel free to jump in and update the notes - we welcome your input! A link to the recording is available in the linked meeting notes.
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Key Takeaways
🔶 Geolocation boosts GA4GH’s visibility and utility but requires privacy safeguards like obfuscation.
🔶 A GeoJSON-based schema enables flexible, reusable implementation across standards and use cases.
🔶 An automated, time-series registry is critical to map and track GA4GH’s global adoption.
Key Takeaways
🔶 Geolocation boosts GA4GH’s visibility and utility but requires privacy safeguards like obfuscation.
🔶 A GeoJSON-based schema enables flexible, reusable implementation across standards and use cases.
🔶 An automated, time-series registry is critical to map and track GA4GH’s global adoption.
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Meeting Summary
The session focused on integrating geolocation data into GA4GH standards for genomics, emphasising its role in service discovery, data interpretation, and global collaboration.
Michael Baudis provided historical context, highlighting long-standing discussions on geolocation formats, privacy concerns like obfuscation and granularity, and a proposed GeoJSON-based schema for reusable objects in standards like Service Info.
Brian O'Connor presented a practical use case from the Cloud Workstream, showcasing a prototype map of 23 DRS servers, and stressed the need for better visibility of GA4GH implementations through an updated registry.
Discussions covered extending geolocation to non-human/environmental data, analytical applications like querying samples by proximity in Beacon, and feedback on schema elements such as precision, ISO codes, and time-series tracking. We explored compatibility with other standards like Darwin Core, automation for registry updates, and broader use cases for mapping growth in GA4GH adoption.
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Michael Baudis provided historical context, highlighting long-standing discussions on geolocation formats, privacy concerns like obfuscation and granularity, and a proposed GeoJSON-based schema for reusable objects in standards like Service Info.
Brian O'Connor presented a practical use case from the Cloud Workstream, showcasing a prototype map of 23 DRS servers, and stressed the need for better visibility of GA4GH implementations through an updated registry.
Discussions covered extending geolocation to non-human/environmental data, analytical applications like querying samples by proximity in Beacon, and feedback on schema elements such as precision, ISO codes, and time-series tracking. We explored compatibility with other standards like Darwin Core, automation for registry updates, and broader use cases for mapping growth in GA4GH adoption.
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Action Items
🔶 Update GA4GH registry with GeoJSON-based geolocation schema, involving tech team.
🔶 Create a user-friendly website form for registering implementations, shifting from Google Forms to automated Service Info updates.
🔶 Bootstrap registry with known implementations and develop it as a time-series database to track growth by 2026 Singapore plenary.
🔶 Refine schema for precision, ISO codes, and compatibility with standards like Darwin Core based on implementer feedback.
🔶 Update GA4GH registry with GeoJSON-based geolocation schema, involving tech team.
🔶 Create a user-friendly website form for registering implementations, shifting from Google Forms to automated Service Info updates.
🔶 Bootstrap registry with known implementations and develop it as a time-series database to track growth by 2026 Singapore plenary.
🔶 Refine schema for precision, ISO codes, and compatibility with standards like Darwin Core based on implementer feedback.
________
Your feedback is invaluable and helps us improve future GA4GH Plenary and Connect meetings, ensuring they continue to provide the best possible experience for our community.
If there's anything we missed or anything you'd like to add, feel free to reach out!
Thanks again for your engagement and contributions!
Best,
Beatrice
Thanks again for your engagement and contributions!
Best,
Beatrice
Beatrice Amos
Work Stream Manager
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